548.G1/185: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11 p.m.]
4874. I received today from Mr. Eden the following reply to a communication sent to him by me upon receipt of the Department’s airgram 791, June 7, 6 p.m.:
“Taking in order the points dealt with in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of the message from the State Department, we feel, with regard to the point that French territory is not explicitly covered by the terms of the proposed declaration, that, as the declaration is to be issued in the name of ‘Governments’ it might be difficult to include, at the present stage, the French Committee of National Liberation. Should, however, that body shortly be recognized by our two Governments, its name could eventually be inserted in the declaration, as finally approved by all concerned after the name of Yugoslavia—as was done with the French National Committee in the declaration read by me of the 17th December last in the House of Commons regarding the persecution of the Jews.63 Alternatively, France could be regarded as covered by the second paragraph of the declaration as now redrafted by the Department of State, but the first suggestion would appear preferable to my Government; it would, we think, be invidious to avoid all mention of French refugees in a statement on behalf of all the Allied countries.
As regards the other modifications of the draft suggested by the Department of State, I am glad to be able to inform you that my Government are in agreement with these. In order to save time His Majesty’s Government propose to instruct His Majesty’s Ambassador at Moscow to communicate the draft to the Soviet Government, provided that he sees no grave objection from the Soviet point of view to the modifications proposed, together with the necessary oral explanations for their views and, it is hoped, their concurrence. He will be instructed to act in association with his United States colleague as soon as the latter has received the necessary instructions from the State Department.
I shall be grateful if you will inform me as soon as it is decided to send the necessary instructions to the United States Ambassador at Moscow so that our Ambassador may associate himself with Admiral Standley’s approach to the Soviet Government.”
- Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 385, col. 2082.↩